This application relates generally to the field of control devices for use in vehicle passenger compartments, and more particularly to systems and methods for modularizing vehicle trailer backup control devices.
Vehicle Trailer Backup Assist (TBA) systems help a driver of a vehicle, such as an automobile, to navigate and position the direction of towed articles, such as trailers, boats, etc. while the vehicle is being driven in reverse. To coordinate the movement and direction of the trailer by the driver, a driver can command the trailer backup assist function of the vehicle using a control device positioned in the dashboard of the vehicle. But packaging such control devices in the dashboard of some vehicles may be difficult or cost prohibitive given the limited space that may be available in the dashboard. The location of the control device needs to be far enough from the steering wheel to provide clearance to freely operate the control device during TBA operations. On the other hand, the control device must be located within convenient reach of the driver. In smaller vehicles, other critical and high usage control devices may occupy the zones where the control device for TBA operations would ideally be located. Furthermore, many dashboards cannot easily accommodate retrofit insertion or positioning of a control device for TBA operations in or on the dashboard.
There exists a need, therefore, for a control device to enable TBA operations and which solves these problems.